Publications by authors named "R N Van Zyl-Smit"
Background: The WHO has highlighted that: "promotion of e-cigarettes has led to marked increases in e-cigarette use by children and adolescents." The long-term neuropsychiatric and psychological consequences of substance abuse in adolescence is well recognised. Limited data exists on the adolescent burden of vaping-related nicotine addiction and behavioural and/or psychological dependence to guide pharmacological or behavioural interventions to stop electronic cigarette usage.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: South Africa has high tobacco-attributable mortality and a smoking prevalence of 32.5% in males and 25.6% in females.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: High-flow nasal oxygen (HFNO) is an accepted treatment for severe COVID-19-related acute hypoxaemic respiratory failure (AHRF).
Objectives: To determine whether treatment outcomes at Groote Schuur Hospital, Cape Town, South Africa, during the third COVID-19 wave would be affected by increased institutional experience and capacity for HNFO and more restrictive admission criteria for respiratory high-care wards and intensive care units.
Methods: We included consecutive patients with COVID-19-related AHRF treated with HFNO during the first and third COVID-19 waves.
Article Synopsis
- The study evaluated the efficacy and safety of the RSVPreF3 OA vaccine in seniors (60+) against RSV-related lower respiratory tract disease (RSV-LRTD) over two seasons following either one or two doses.
- It was a phase 3 blinded trial with 24,967 participants, showing an efficacy of about 67% for both one dose and two doses against RSV-LRTD and consistent results for severe cases.
- Revaccination after one year was well-tolerated, but it didn't significantly enhance efficacy compared to receiving just one dose.
Background: In low- and middle-income countries countries, millions of deaths occur annually from household air pollution (HAP), pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB), and HIV-infection. However, it is unknown whether HAP influences PTB risk among people living with HIV-infection.
Methods: We conducted a case-control study among 1,277 HIV-infected adults in Bukavu, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (February 2018 - March 2019).